Marcus Camby was out there, rebounding free throws, when – more revealing than any words – he offered a silent, but telling glimpse into his state of mind.

He smiled.

The wounds from a terrible ordeal are not fully healed, but the process is underway, and Camby yesterday returned to the Knicks, in body and, more importantly, in spirit. Ending his one-game, self-prescribed hiatus, Camby will start at center tomorrow night in Toronto, hoping to contribute to a Game 4 victory that would close out the Raptors and propel the Knicks into the second round of the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season.

“I’ve been through a lot, my family has been through a lot,” Camby said. “It’s just a matter of time, me getting my head right, make sure my family situation is stable, which it pretty much is. Now I can just concentrate on basketball.”

This sounded and looked more like the Camby the Knicks have come to know and appreciate. The day after he collected 18 rebounds in a series-opening victory, Camby’s world was rocked when his mother and two sisters were held hostage at their Connecticut home. Three nights later, Camby tried to play through his shock and grief and was a shell of himself, adding next to nothing (two points, two rebounds in 31 zombie-like minutes) during a 20-point Knicks loss.

“No matter how hard I tried my mind just couldn’t let me get through it,” he said.

Camby left the Knicks for three days, suffering from symptoms related to post-trauma stress syndrome. He remained with his family and, after initially deciding he would not watch, flipped on the television Sunday and saw the Knicks, without him, beat the Raptors 97-89 at Air Canada Center.

“It was tough watching it, just wanting to be out there, but the guys responded,” he said.

Before Camby left the team, he was told by Jeff Van Gundy not to return until he felt he could play effectively. Minutes before yesterday’s 10:30 a.m. workout, Camby arrived at Purchase College, and immediately, his teammates could tell he was on the road to recovery.

“From the first time I saw him he looked very energetic and back to normal,” Latrell Sprewell said. “That was nice to see. I think he’s back to normal now, it looks that way. He’s talkative, he’s joking and being the Marcus of old.”

Observed Rice, “I think he’s going to be all right and in turn, I think we’re going to be all right as well. He congratulated everyone on a good game the other day and let everyone know that he’s ready. You can kind of sense a little bit of relief, that he’s heading toward back being himself.”

During a meeting yesterday with Camby, Van Gundy stressed that he needs to know if his center’s mindset changes between now and game time. “He’s got to be honest with me and let me know that, so we don’t waste any minutes,” Van Gundy said.

Unless he experiences a sudden relapse, Camby says he’s moving forward. He spent virtually the entire three days away from the Knicks inside the family home, where one of his sisters was sexually assaulted during the hostage situation. It is believed Camby underwent some form of professional counseling, and he said his entire family has recently been pushing him to play.

Upon his return, Camby said he went out of his way to show his teammates he was on the mend. “It’s been depressing, I can’t lie,” Camby said. “But with me, and with anybody who goes through any problems, you got to get back to your normal life, starting doing things you’re used to doing. Coming in here, just trying to smile and laugh, just trying to let the guys know I’m all right, let’s not talk about what happened, let’s just move on and try to close out Toronto. That was my feeling coming in here, making sure everybody was upbeat.”

As for his family, Camby added, “They’re hanging in there. Each day is a struggle but we tend to lean on each other. It’s going to take some time, don’t get me wrong, nothing’s going to change overnight or in a week, but we’re going to get through this together.”